Technical valuation helps prevent costly surprises when acquiring a greenhouse business
Source: HD.com
A conventional valuation provides insight into market value, but says relatively little about the actual technical condition of the greenhouse and its installations. With a technical valuation, we also look at what it will take for that business to retain its value in the future and which investments will be required to achieve that," says Tom van Zundert, Managing Director of Looije Agro Technics.
More than a snapshot When acquiring an existing greenhouse business, the focus is often primarily on the market value of the property and technical installations. Without a thorough inspection, the new owner would have faced a major and costly repair shortly after acquiring the business." In another case, an acquired greenhouse business was equipped with a relatively new LED lighting system.
Tom van Zundert A technical valuation therefore also considers factors that are generally outside the scope of a conventional valuation, such as the technical quality of previous investments, the efficiency of the greenhouse layout, utilization of the available growing area and whether existing installations are suitable for future requirements. Increasingly relevant For greenhouse growers, investors and financial institutions, a technical valuation provides something that may ultimately be more valuable than a figure on paper: insight.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
